geekhack
geekhack Marketplace => Great Finds => Topic started by: ocdonkb on Tue, 15 December 2009, 13:18:46
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Ebay link:
http://cgi.ebay.com/New-Chicony-KB-5181-Computer-Keyboard_W0QQitemZ360218072638QQcmdZViewItemQQptZPCA_Mice_Trackballs?hash=item53deab963e#ht_3479wt_798 (http://cgi.ebay.com/New-Chicony-KB-5181-Computer-Keyboard_W0QQitemZ360218072638QQcmdZViewItemQQptZPCA_Mice_Trackballs?hash=item53deab963e#ht_3479wt_798)
There was a GH review of this (http://geekhack.org/showwiki.php?title=Island:6128&p=142571&postid=142571#post142571)
Personally, not my thing. I can tolerate a lot in boards, but a small Backspace key is not one of them.
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Personally, not my thing. I can tolerate a lot in boards, but a small Backspace key is not one of them.
SMC (SMK?) switches by the look of the photo in the auction.
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Ebay link:
http://cgi.ebay.com/New-Chicony-KB-5181-Computer-Keyboard_W0QQitemZ360218072638QQcmdZViewItemQQptZPCA_Mice_Trackballs?hash=item53deab963e#ht_3479wt_798 (http://cgi.ebay.com/New-Chicony-KB-5181-Computer-Keyboard_W0QQitemZ360218072638QQcmdZViewItemQQptZPCA_Mice_Trackballs?hash=item53deab963e#ht_3479wt_798)
There was a GH review of this (http://geekhack.org/showwiki.php?title=Island:6128&p=142571&postid=142571#post142571)
Personally, not my thing. I can tolerate a lot in boards, but a small Backspace key is not one of them.
A screaming deal for a decent clicky keyboard. The keyboard looks unremarkable, but the plate mounted SMK Monterey key switches are outstanding. You will need a passive 5-pin AT to ps/2 adapter and a blue cube ps/2 to USB converter to work well with most modern laptops and PCs.
The small backspace key is not that big of a deal - most people at my office who have typed on the KB-5181 got accustomed to the small backspace key. All the other keys are in the normal IBM 101-key enhanced layout.
This seller is highly reputable - I've purchased a dozen of these NIB KB-5181s from this seller and the transaction experience was excellent.
For 10 bucks NIB, this is a better deal for a clicky keyboard than most of the used Model Ms on ebay.
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What do the Monterreys feel like? Are they anything like ALPS?
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What do the Monterreys feel like? Are they anything like ALPS?
Click on the link in the first post to read Manyak's review.
I think the Montereys were intended to be "ALPS like" but I personally prefer the Monterey key switches over genuine complicated white ALPS (which I also happen to like very much).
The Monterey key switches click on both the down press AND the return, similar to a buckling spring switch. The tactile bump is sharper than the Model M buckling spring key switch, making the keystrokes feel crisper.
I have not ripometered the required force for the key presses, but they feel farily light - slightly less force than the Model M, but slightly more force than Blue Cherries.
Anyway, for 10 bucks + shipping, I think they make a nice edition of a clicky keyboard to add to anyone's collection (and there's no keyboard crud to clean)
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Are there any good keyboards that use the Monterey switches? From what I see, most of them look like the generic plasticky Asian keyboards of the 80s.
Indeed, does anyone know whether the switches can be adapted to work in an Alps board?
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I think Chimera has some Monterey switches in one of his SIIG Minitouches.
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If you get the chance could you ripometer the board? I would love to know the force required for the keys.
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Does anyone have any audio sample file ?
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Does anyone have any audio sample file ?
Did anyone ever post a KB-5181 sound sample?
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Just did. See the MegaSound sample.
Cool. I assume this is your $16 NIB ebay special? Was curious to compare a few different keyboards. At first pass through the samples I grabbed, my favorite sounds have to be Monterey and complicated ALPS. Thanks...